Economic Feasibility of Using Municipal Solid Waste and Date Palm Waste for Clean Energy Production in Qatar
The transition to clean energy is crucial for mitigating the impacts of climate change and achieving sustainable development. Reliance on fossil fuels, which are integral to manufacturing and transportation, remains a major contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Biomass gasification presents...
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2025-02-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/4/988 |
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| author | Ahmad Mohamed S. H. Al-Moftah Mohammad Alnajideen Fatima Alafifi Pawel Czyzewski Hao Shi Mohammad Alherbawi Rukshan Navaratne Agustin Valera-Medina |
| author_facet | Ahmad Mohamed S. H. Al-Moftah Mohammad Alnajideen Fatima Alafifi Pawel Czyzewski Hao Shi Mohammad Alherbawi Rukshan Navaratne Agustin Valera-Medina |
| author_sort | Ahmad Mohamed S. H. Al-Moftah |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The transition to clean energy is crucial for mitigating the impacts of climate change and achieving sustainable development. Reliance on fossil fuels, which are integral to manufacturing and transportation, remains a major contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Biomass gasification presents a renewable energy alternative that can significantly reduce emissions. However, proper disposal of municipal solid waste (MSW) and agricultural residues, such as date palm waste (DPW), is an increasing global challenge, including in Qatar. This study evaluates the economic feasibility of implementing an MSW and DPW gasification plant for clean electricity generation in Qatar. The country’s growing population and economic development have led to substantial waste production, making it an ideal location for waste-to-energy (WTE) initiatives. Using discounted cash flow (DCF) analysis, the study estimates the capital cost of a 373 MW<sub>th</sub> facility at approximately $12.07 million, with annual operating costs of about $4.09 million and revenue of $26.88 million in 2023. The results indicate a net present value (NPV) of $245.77 million, a return on investment (ROI) of 84.80%, a payback period of approximately 5 years over a 20-year project lifetime and a net reduction of 206,786 tonnes CO<sub>2</sub> annually. These findings demonstrate the economic viability of biomass gasification in Qatar while contributing to reduced GHG emissions and advancing the country’s sustainability goals under Qatar National Vision 2030. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b84df0220e06496baf8d0e3780b95753 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj-art-b84df0220e06496baf8d0e3780b957532025-08-20T03:12:14ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732025-02-0118498810.3390/en18040988Economic Feasibility of Using Municipal Solid Waste and Date Palm Waste for Clean Energy Production in QatarAhmad Mohamed S. H. Al-Moftah0Mohammad Alnajideen1Fatima Alafifi2Pawel Czyzewski3Hao Shi4Mohammad Alherbawi5Rukshan Navaratne6Agustin Valera-Medina7College of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 3AA, UKCollege of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 3AA, UKCollege of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha P.O. Box 5825, QatarInstitute of Thermal Engineering, Poznan University of Technology, 60-965 Poznan, PolandCollege of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 3AA, UKCollege of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha P.O. Box 5825, QatarCollege of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 3AA, UKCollege of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 3AA, UKThe transition to clean energy is crucial for mitigating the impacts of climate change and achieving sustainable development. Reliance on fossil fuels, which are integral to manufacturing and transportation, remains a major contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Biomass gasification presents a renewable energy alternative that can significantly reduce emissions. However, proper disposal of municipal solid waste (MSW) and agricultural residues, such as date palm waste (DPW), is an increasing global challenge, including in Qatar. This study evaluates the economic feasibility of implementing an MSW and DPW gasification plant for clean electricity generation in Qatar. The country’s growing population and economic development have led to substantial waste production, making it an ideal location for waste-to-energy (WTE) initiatives. Using discounted cash flow (DCF) analysis, the study estimates the capital cost of a 373 MW<sub>th</sub> facility at approximately $12.07 million, with annual operating costs of about $4.09 million and revenue of $26.88 million in 2023. The results indicate a net present value (NPV) of $245.77 million, a return on investment (ROI) of 84.80%, a payback period of approximately 5 years over a 20-year project lifetime and a net reduction of 206,786 tonnes CO<sub>2</sub> annually. These findings demonstrate the economic viability of biomass gasification in Qatar while contributing to reduced GHG emissions and advancing the country’s sustainability goals under Qatar National Vision 2030.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/4/988biomass gasificationmunicipal solid wastedate palm wasteeconomic feasibilityQatar National Vision 2030 |
| spellingShingle | Ahmad Mohamed S. H. Al-Moftah Mohammad Alnajideen Fatima Alafifi Pawel Czyzewski Hao Shi Mohammad Alherbawi Rukshan Navaratne Agustin Valera-Medina Economic Feasibility of Using Municipal Solid Waste and Date Palm Waste for Clean Energy Production in Qatar Energies biomass gasification municipal solid waste date palm waste economic feasibility Qatar National Vision 2030 |
| title | Economic Feasibility of Using Municipal Solid Waste and Date Palm Waste for Clean Energy Production in Qatar |
| title_full | Economic Feasibility of Using Municipal Solid Waste and Date Palm Waste for Clean Energy Production in Qatar |
| title_fullStr | Economic Feasibility of Using Municipal Solid Waste and Date Palm Waste for Clean Energy Production in Qatar |
| title_full_unstemmed | Economic Feasibility of Using Municipal Solid Waste and Date Palm Waste for Clean Energy Production in Qatar |
| title_short | Economic Feasibility of Using Municipal Solid Waste and Date Palm Waste for Clean Energy Production in Qatar |
| title_sort | economic feasibility of using municipal solid waste and date palm waste for clean energy production in qatar |
| topic | biomass gasification municipal solid waste date palm waste economic feasibility Qatar National Vision 2030 |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/4/988 |
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